Index tab



ll me 25, 1935. H. c. OSBORN INDEX TAB Filed Dec. 14, 1931 ij unn and gmntow Patented June 25, 1935 INDEX TAB Henry C.-

poration of Delaware osbornpcleveland, Ohio, assignor to Multigraph Company,

Wilmington, Del., a cor- Application December 14,1931, Serial No. 580,796

" 17 Claims. Korma-16.8)

It is frequently desirable to provide means' such as index tabs whereby plates, cards, etc."

may be distinguished one from the other due to the position of the tab. This enables address plates, for instance, to-be classified either for pur poses of ready manual sorting 'or to enable an address printing machine to distinguish mechanically between the different plates andprint only from certain selected plates.

It is the general object of my invention to provide such mutual formationof the plateand the index tab that the latter may be readilymounted on the former in any of a number of locations, and may be changed at will from location to location, but while mounted may be shiftedinto different directional positions. I thus provide a large number otselectable indications dependent not only upon the selection of the general location of the tab, but also on its directionalstanding at such location. 7

My invention is in the nature of an improve: ment on the construction shown in Patent'No. 1,938,579, granted December 12tl 1,,1933, to my as' signee, Multigraph Company, on an application of Clifton Chisholm. That patent shows an address platehaving a flat area adjacent the upper edge provided with a number of openings through it, and a tab having a bottom tongue offset into a different plane from the body of the tab so that the tongue may be passed through any" of the openings and lie on the front side of theplate while the body of the tab is on'the rear of it. That tab has an upper tongue adapted to overhang the beaded edge on the plate whichit engages slidably so that the tab may occupy different angular positions in its selected general location. Its body is laterally widenedand provided with a number'oi holes through it which are adapted to selectively coactwith projections on the plate to retain the tab against inadvertent displacement.

My invention materially simplifies the above described construction. I'make the plate with a rearwardly oifset portion providing, when the plate is vertical, a horizontal ledge on the back of the plate through which there are openings. This enables me to make the bottom tongue on the tab in the same plane as the body of the tab. Insteadof widening the tab and providing it with holes to coact with plate projections, I narrow the tab so that it may readily stand between such projections. v

I have accordingly simplified the construction of the tab, enabling it"to be more cheaplyiformed and more readily' tempered." By extending the tongue directly through an opening transverse to the plane of the tab, I provide a pivotal anchorage for the tongue. Thus, the tab, while readily mounted in any of .its general locations, or removed'therefrom manually whenever desired, may, when" located, bereadily shifted from the vertical position into an inclinedposition in either direction. I have, therefore, three indications for each general location of the tab.

In the drawing, Fig. lis a face view of my address-plate equipped with a number of my'index tabs occupying various positions thereon; Fig.2 is a perspective looking from the rear of a por' tion of the plate with the indextab in" vertical position thereon; Fig. 3 is a perspective showing such tab in one of its diagonal positions; Fig. 4 is a cross se'ction through the tab and plate, as indicated by theline 4-1 l,in Fig.'2; Fig. 5is a'per spective of the tab alone. As indicated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, theplate comprises a sheet metal member ID designed to carry, in any suitable manner, a printing form and preferably also an index card. The plate-is provided with a longitudinal. rearwardly offset trough-like portion ll parallel with its upper edge, and through theledge provided'in theto'p of this offset portion are elongated openihgsllZ. )The plate has a row of rearward projections. l3 parallel to its upper edge, the projections being equally spaced and each located preferably. in line more efficient with a space between the openings l2. The edge of the plate is beaded or curled over toward the front,,as indicated at l4.

My index tab designated 20, as a whole, com prises a stamped metal member comparatively narrow and thin and having its body portion 22 in a single plane. The lower end of the body portion'is formed into a narrower portion constituting adow'nwardly projecting tongue 23} In the intermediate region off'the tab it is preferably narrowed by reces'seslil formed {at its op'po site edges. .Formed out ofthe upper portion of the body is an integral forwardly projecting. tongue 26, its sides and lower ends are. cut' from the body but integrallyconnected'therewith at its upper end. This tongue extends diagonally: forward, as shown at 2'! in Fig; 4, andis'thence curved over toward the body, as shown at '28.;

When the tab is in place, the tongue 23 beenpies any one of the openings 12, and-the tongue 26 extends Tover the beaded .upper edgeof the tab, as illustrated in Figs. lto 4,

jacentprojections' l3, as shown in Fig. 2, and is ing the tab in a plurality of positions while the retained by these projections against inadvertent displacement. However, when it is desired to switch the tab into either of its angular positions, it is shoved manually by the operator's finger, and thus springs across the projection I3 on that side until the opening 25, from whichthe tongue 26 is out, comes into registration with that projection, and then the tab is retained in this position, as illustrated in Fig. 3, and in the left hand portion of Fig. 1. Or, if the tab were swung in the opposite direction, it would come into the position illustrated in the right-hand portion of Fig. 1 and be there retained in a similar manner.

It will be seen that my tab is adapted for. ready mounting in any of the openings]? shown, and

interchangeable at will between them, but when mounted in any opening it may be easily shifted, without disturbing its mounting, into a plurality of positions, a total of three cordingly, in this embodiment, the tab may give three times as manyindications as there are openmean. 'The simplicity. of construction of both the plate and'the'tab will also be noted.

As heretofore, indicated, the plate l0 may carry its printing members and card index, if desired,

in any suitable manner.

connected with the plate by corrugations 16, these corrugations and buttons being adapted to support embossed printing strips (not shown), which have-edge flanges extending beneath the overhanging portions of V the buttons, as indicated, for" instance, in Patent No.f1,438,582. Ihave shown also upwardly turned lips I1, I8 and I9, which may cooperate with the rolled-over edge I4' to retain an index card overlying the upperjpart of the plate. However, if desired,the in'd'ex card may be entirely omitted or carried in another manner, and in place of the individual strips, a single plate, having a number of embossedlines may'be mounted on theplate 10, as is wellunderstood. "I 'claim:

1. The combination with a member to be indexed having an oflset portion with an opening an lndextab having a bottom tongue adapted in one of its ofisetting walls, 'and'an'inde'xtab having a tongue adapted tooccupy said opening and having meansslidably engaging anedge of the member to be indexed, andmeans for holdtongueis in the said opening. V

'2. The combination with a plate having a trough-shaped depression therein to provide a transverse ledge, an opening through said ledge,

tooccupy said opening, andan upper tongue adapted toloverhang the upper edge of the plate,

plate to engage the in differentpositions and means carried by the body of the tab and hold it whileits bottom tongue is in said opening.

'3. The combination with a'plate to be indexed having an offset portion with a plurality of open: ingsl through it,fand an index tab having a cen tral tongue in 1thesame plane as the body of the tab and adapted to removably occupy any of said tab maybe readily interbeing shown. Ac-

I have shown by way of illustration" rows of upstanding buttons l5,

, of said openings and a removable pivotal mounting of the tab, and an upper tongue adapted to overhang the upper edge of the plate, and means carried by the plate to engage the body of the tab and hold it in different positions with reference to any opening it occupies. 3

5. The combination of an address plate having openings through it in a portion offset from the plane of the plate, an index tab having a body and lower tongue in one plane, said tongue being adapted to occupy any of said openings, said tab having an upper tongue adapted to over"- hang the upper edge of the plate, and a row of projections on the plate adapted to variably engagethe tab to hold it in different positions while its lower tongue is inv the same opening.

-6. The combination of an address plate having openingsthrough it, an index tab having a lower tongue adapted tooccupy any of said openings' and having an upper tongue adapted to overhang the upper edge of the plate, and a row .of projections extending transversely from the plane of the plate, said projectionsbeing staggered with reference to the openings whereby when the tab isvertical its edges will be engaged on opposite sides by a pair of projections. 7. The combination of an address plate having a row of openings parallel toone edge, an

index tab having a tongue adapted to occupy any I provide a pivotal mounting I for the tab, the tab-having means slidably en-.

gaging the upper edge of the plate, a row of projections formed on the plate, said tab being recessed on. opposite sides toallow it to be retained between adjacent projections. ,7

8. An address plate having a longitudinally offset region to provide a ledge transversely of the plate, openingsthrough said ledge, an index tab in the form of a fiat strip of metal having a narrower'portion at its lower end in the form of a tongue adapted to occupy any of said openings, said tab having cut out ing forwardly a tongue adapted to engage the upper edge of the plate, and a row of projections on the 'plate'adapted to coact either with the edge of the tab, or with the opening through the 01 its body and project tab out ofwhich the tongue is cut,according to the position of the tab.v

9. The combination of an addressplate hav ing a curled-overupper edge, a longitudinal depression in the plate parallel with the upper'edge, openings in the upper wall of the trough made by the depression, a series of projections formed on the plate, and an indextab adapted tostand on thebackof the plate and having at its lower end a tongue extending through one of the openings in the depression, integral tongue'extending intermediately from its body and ofiset tof overhang the upper edge of the address plate, the projections of the address plate being arranged to coact with the edges of the tab, or with the tongue is cutout, of the tab. 1 v

10. An index tab, having a flat body portion reduced laterally at its, lower end to provide a tongue, a tongue cut out centrally of the body portion'and extending away from the body and downwardly, and of the-body.

the opening fromwhich according to the position '11. An index tab, comprising a strip of sheet material, the lower portion of which is formed intoa tongue in the, same plane with. the body of thestrip abolvef thetongue, a tongue out out, of the bodyand extending awayfroin vthefloody said tab having also'an recesses in the opposite edges and downwardly and then curved toward the body, and recesses formed in the opposite edges of the body adjacent the opening out of which the tongue is cut.

12. An address plate having a longitudinal depression formed in the plate adjacent the top edge to provide a narrow trough, openings through the top wall of said trough adapted to receive an index tab, a row of projections on the plate between the trough and the top edge, said projections being adapted to coact with index tabs pivotally mounted in the openings in the trough.

13. An address plate, a curled-over top edge, a longitudinal depression formedin the face of the plate parallel with the top edge to provide a narrow rearwardly extending trough, openings through the top wall of said trough 'on' the rear side of the plate proper adapted to receive an index tab, and a row of projections in the rear side of the plate between thetrough and the upper edge made by indentations in the front, said projections being adapted to coact with index tabs mounted in the openings in the trough.

14. An index tab comprising a planular strip having a bottom tongue in the plane of the strip and of reduced width and an upper tongue out out from a region of the body wall below the top by an upwardly extending cut of U-shape, the latter tongue being bent away from the plane at an acute angle thereto in the general direction toward the bottom tongue and then curve ing to have a concavity facing the plane of the body.

15. The combination with an address plate formed to carry a printing surface and having a row of openings parallel with oneedge, of an index tab having a centrally located end tongue adapted to be mounted in any opening, the tab having an upper tongue to embrace the edge of the plate, enabling the tab to swing when mounted, a row of projections on the plate,' and an opening in the tab adapted to coact with either of two projections for each mounting of the tab.

16. The combination with an address plate having a rod of openings parallel with its edge, a row of projections between the openings and the edge of the plate, the individual projections registering with the spaces between the openings, and an index tab having a bottom tongue adapted to be inserted in any opening and an intermediately cut-out tongue adapted to engage the upper edge of the plate, the opening through the tab resulting from the cutting out of the intermediate tongue being adapted to embrace either of two projections when the tab is inclined at an angle in either direction from a position at right angles to the upper edge of the plate.

17. A tab having a body portion with a central tongue of less width than the body projecting from the lower end of the body and lying substantially in the general plane of the body, and combined with a plate having an offset portion with an opening at its upper edge through which the tongue may pass into the space provided by the offset, means for normally retaining the tab with the tongue in the ofiset while allowing the tab to swing into either of two, positions either side of a normal to the upper edge of the plate, and interengaging means on the plate and tab to locate the tab in either of such two positions.

HENRY C. OSBORN. 

